SURVIVAL Sunday became suffering Sunday for York City Knights as they underperformed big style at Sheffield to sink back to Championship One – before discovering, in a cruel twist, that victory would have saved them.

Dave Woods’ men needed to improve on their best performance of the season against Halifax last time out to collect another three points, but instead old defensive fallibilities and handling errors returned with a vengeance as they crashed 52-18.

For most of the afternoon it seemed it would matter little to the Championship standings as relegation rivals Hunslet were beating Halifax. York had to do better than the Hawks on this last day of the regular season to stay up.

But then came news Fax had fought back to win 32-24 late on, Hunslet picking up only bonus point.

It is not known whether the Hawks took their foot off the gas aware of York’s score, but that is of little consolation.

The Knights’ fate is not quite sealed as they must now await a decision from the Rugby Football League on Crusaders’ application to join the Championship following their Super League demise.

That is due “within two weeks” but it’s fair to assume the Welsh expansion club will be allowed to pass whatever test they face and York will be back in Championship One after another fleeting foray in domestic rugby league’s second tier, following their one other season there in 2006.

York fought on yesterday but after they fell behind they almost tried too hard to claw back the deficit and were picked off all too easily.

In a blow for fans before kick-off, it was revealed key half-back Anthony Thackeray was ruled out with a back problem which had been kept under wraps since flaring up in training two weeks ago – meaning Tom Bush made a shock switch.

Woods decided against throwing his son, Scott, into the biggest game of his life, and also kept Jonny Presley, another scrum-half, as replacement hooker, where he has shone brighter.

James Haynes, another option, was so good at full-back against Halifax that he was left there, and so Bush, whom Haynes displaced, switched from the wing to partner Chris Thorman in the halves – despite having not played there in senior rugby.

The gamble reaped some dividends – a try in either half by Bush was reward for his decent efforts – but the Knights could have done with some of Thackeray’s attacking inspiration and the confidence that comes with continuity.

Bush’s first try, following up good play by Jack Lee and Haynes, had equalised Quentin Togagae’s opener, Thorman and Simon Brown adding the respective extras.

But then York suffered another blow as centre James Ford, back from a pulled quad, limped off after the injury recurred. Within seconds, Joe Hirst broke a tackle from Ford’s replacement, Ed Smith, clearly not up to the speed of the game, to score.

Back-rower Steve Lewis briefly switched to centre but fluffed a great chance, with an overlap and the line in sight, following an initial break by Haynes. And Alex Szostak immediately scored at the other end – scrum-half Brown goaling as player/assistant-coach Thorman gave his side an almighty rollicking behind the sticks.

Clarke, who worked his socks off throughout the 80 minutes, and Haynes, with his never-say-die display, were absolved from blame, but the errors continued.

Teenager Smith was unfortunately guilty of a few, giving his worst performance in a Knights shirt. To rub salt into his personal wounds, big brother, Pat, who came on for Sheffield at hooker but played the second half at scrum-half, easily won the bragging rights in their Dringhouses household.

Brief respite for York came with a spell in Sheffield territory, but it became 20-6 at half-time when Tim Bergin collected a deflected clearance kick and fed big centre Corey Hanson to run home. Bergin was probably offside but several big calls from referee Chris Leatherbarrow went against the Knights.

Hunslet, meanwhile, were 20-6 up, so the odds of survival were stacked against York – and five home tries in 19 minutes after the break not so much hammered a nail into their coffin as buried it ten feet underground.

Misi Taulapapa got the first, substitute Menzie Yere doing the damage, and left-centre Yere himself bagged a hat-trick as York’s right-winger, Dennis Tuffour, was often left isolated. Hanson got the other, with Bergin adding three conversions, having taken over goalkicking from the crocked Brown.

In between times, wonderful tracking back by Jack Lee denied winger Bergin a try and showed York still had fight in them, but soon enough Mitch Stringer’s converted touchdown took the Eagles above the half-century mark.

Bush weaved in for his second try and Matt Garside finished well from a Thorman kick as the Knights ended with a flourish, Thorman goaling both.

But the match, and the season, was long since over – notwithstanding the late turn of events at South Leeds Stadium.

Match facts

Sheffield: Togagae, Finnigan, Taulapapa, Hanson, Bergin, McDonald, Brown, Howieson, Henderson, Stringer, Szostak, Green, Hirst.

Subs (all used): P Smith, Scott, Yere, Hepworth.

Tries: Togagae 8; Hirst 21; Szostak 26; Hanson 40, 58; Taulapapa 45; Yere 51, 55, 64; Stringer 69.

Conversions: Brown 8, 26; Bergin 45, 51, 58, 64.

Knights: Haynes 8, Tuffour 6, Esders 5, Ford 5, Sutton 6, Bush 7, Thorman 6, Freer 6, Lee 7, Benson 6, Clarke 8, Garside 6, Lewis 5.

Subs (all used): Presley 6, Waller 5, E Smith 4, Jones 6.

Tries: Bush 17, 73; Garside 80.

Conversions: Thorman 17, 73, 80.

Man of the match: Rhys Clarke – just pipped James Haynes to the award after a non-stop 80-minute performance.

Referee: Chris Leatherbarrow (St Helens) – a number of key 50/50 calls went against York before the game went away from them.

Penalty count: 7-7.

Attendance: 1,147.

Half-time: 20-6.

Weather: some drizzle but okay.

Moment of the match: a brilliant, long-distance cover tackle by Jack Lee, after 46 minutes, with York 26-6 down, with Dave Sutton also chasing back to knock the loose ball dead, showed the Knights were fighting to the last, albeit in vain.

Gaffe of the match: It was probably a pivotal moment when Steve Lewis fumbled a Rhys Clarke pass with an equalising try looking certain, and instead Sheffield went up the other end to extend their lead to 16-6 after 26 minutes and leave York increasingly desperate.

Gamebreaker: The arrival of substitute Menzie Yere to score three and set up another in the third quarter pretty much ended York’s diminishing hope of escaping the drop zone.

Match rating: York fans travelled with hope of a thrilling survival but returned down in the dumps.